Speaking of slightly OT questions, mine is:
In the comic books, didn't Hal Jordan eventually turn into a really evil person and someone else became the new Green Lantern as a result?
Fasten your seatbelts, it's going to be a bumpy night.

Thanks for the thought timmy - I do actually own the collected edition of Crisis on Infinite Earths. My favourite comic 'event' of all!
"A big ball of wibbly wobbly, timey wimey stuff"
The Tenth Doctor explains all.

You might also want 2 dnload bk e-books issues of Crisis On Infinate Earths (Dec. 1984-Jan.1986).

A problem I've found when I do pick up a GL book is that they all seem to run into one another; it's necessary to buy several volumes to get the whole tale. Can you recommend any trades that are completely self-contained?
All for a box of chocolates

That is correct, the stories do not connect with each other.

Thank you bytor4. Yes, I should have mentioned that I've seen First Flight - and thoroughly enjoyed it! Thanks for recommending Emerald Knights. Am I right that neither of those films are connected with each other or GL:TAS?
All for a box of chocolates

Yes. The show gives you a great overview of the character (and it's a pretty awesome show). I would also recommend First Flight, which gives you a brief overview of his origin, and Emerald Knights which gives you a glimpse into the larger GL mythology.
the Johns stuff is great though, I would recommend his run, starting with Secret Origin. It just might make a fan out of you, I know it did me.